A pedestrian is dead after being hit by a vehicle Wednesday evening in Otay Mesa.
The accident happened at 5:10 p.m. at La Media Road and Otay Mesa Road.
According to police, the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
The circumstances around the accident are currently unknown. San Diego police and the California Highway Patrol are on-scene investigating.
Check back for updates.
Drug dealing and gun running both used to be big business for streets gangs. However, these days, authorities say gangs are making the bulk of their money from sex trade – targeting young, unsuspecting victims.
According to law enforcement officials, 12 to 14-year-old girls are the sex trafficking targets sought by street gangs. These girls aren’t runaways or from another country, they’re from right here in San Diego, and could be the girl next door or possibly one’s own daughter.
FBI Special Agent Robert Howe says gangs use a number of tactics in order to grow their criminal enterprise. This includes using homemade music videos and social media and to lure their victims.
Howe says this technology is now helping gangsters grow into CEOs of a thriving sex trafficking industry.
“It’s all a very dark secret. Utilize social networks sites to advertise and communicate,” explained Howe.
The victims on the other end of those recruiting efforts could be anyone, according to Howe.
“You may have a daughter that could easily get pulled into that environment if you’re not very careful with the relationship you have with your daughter,” said Howe.
On Jan. 8, authorities busted a major sex trafficking ring involving two dozen suspected gang members and their associates in San Diego’s North Park community.
Officials said the large-scale, cross-country sex trafficking ring spanned 46 cities across 23 states and involved more than 60 victims from San Diego. A total of 11 of those victims were minors.
In that sex trafficking ring, investigators said gang members from the local group, “BMS,” allegedly acted as pimps, luring women and girls into a life of prostitution by using rap videos posted on social media that promised the women a glamorous, lavish lifestyle.
Once the victims became prostitutes, the suspects would allegedly “brand” their recruits with tattoos of gang symbols, bar codes or even a pimp’s name, and exchange the women among themselves as needed.
Lindsey Clark heads Coast to Coast Central, a non-profit organization that helps victims of trafficking overseas.
Clark says that recently, someone tried to lure her into the sex trade as officials say gangsters often do, with the promise of big money.
Clark says an alleged sex trafficking suspect told her he’d give her $1,000 if she slept with multiple men.
“It was bold and really intense,” she recalled.
With brazen recruitment tactics like this happening every day, sex trafficking has become a major focus of the FBI. Three task forces have been established to combat the problem.
Earlier this month, following the big bust in North Park, San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said the number of human trafficking cases convicted and prosecuted locally has more than tripled
over the past four years.
The DA said that under the state’s sex trafficking statutes, a total of 40 human trafficking cases were prosecuted in San Diego in 2012 – a big jump from nine cases prosecuted by the DA’s office in 2009. In 2013, 46 human trafficking cases were submitted to the San Diego County DA’s office, with 43 defendants charged in those cases.
Dumanis also said 50 local victims of human trafficking were identified in 2013, including nine minors.
The Opening Ceremony for the Winter Games in Sochi is just around the corner and NBC 7 along with the Midway Museum and the Olympic Training Center are hosting a free event to celebrate.
San Diego to Sochi: Olympic Hopefuls
You are invited to attend an Opening Ceremony viewing party aboard the Midway and enjoy some fun winter-themed activities for the whole family.
The event is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 7 and will include ice skating, curling and Russian themed-cocktails.
In Sochi spirit there will be snow on the flight deck and huge television screens to watch all the action, along with giveaways and special guests.
Join NBC 7’s Mark Mullen, Catherine Garcia, Monica Dean, Dagmar Midcap and Jim Laslavic along with athletes from the Olympic Training Center.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Get directions and parking information here.
There will be limited indoor seating. Participants are encouraged to bundle up and bring lightweight lawn chairs and blankets.
NBC 7's Steven Luke traveled to Sochi and will report on the Olympic hopefuls who trained in San Diego live from Sochi beginning Feb. 6.
In just days, athletes from all over the world will compete in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
With the time change, some events will be happening while the West Coast of the United States is either just going to bed or just waking up.
NBC 7 will provide prime time coverage of the Olympics every night as well as the ability for you to watch events live as they happen on your computer, your tablet and via mobile.
If it's too much of a challenge to watch the event live, you can catch on-demand replays of events through a free app.
Here's what you need to know:
NBCOlympics.com will be your resource for information like event schedules, medal count, athlete bios, athlete results and the all-important TV listings.
To make sure your TV listings reflect Pacific Time, you'll need to enter your zip code to identify your location. Once that's done, you'll see San Diego-specific stories and get the right time to set that DVR.
On the NBCOlympics page, you can watch live streaming events but you'll want to take a moment to check your system and make sure it has what's necessary.
Find computer specifications here
Once you're on the NBCOlympics page, click here and enter your cable or digital television provider personal user name and password. This will allow you to watch live video on your computer.
If you're on the go and want to watch events live anywhere - by the beach, in between classes or while at work - download the free NBC Live Extra App.
The iPhone, Droid and iPad app will have live and recorded events, results, schedules and on demand HD video.
Our special section "2014 Sochi" will feature reports from NBC 7's Steven Luke in Sochi, Russia. No stranger to traveling with Olympic athletes, Steven will bring those unforgettable stories you'll be sharing on social media.
Speaking of social media, make sure you're following us on Twitter and Facebook as we remind you of key events, have quizzes and trivia and a contest or two. Rest assured, we won't ruin the surprise but simply provide links to results for those who want to be "in the know."
Now, here's your homework.
Make sure your computer system is up to date. You'll need the latest version of Adobe Flash and an upgraded browser as well as an adequate internet connection.
Don't worry, there is a help page to tell you exactly what you need, and help you with any problems.
Once you have all your settings and downloads ready, you can begin to enjoy Olympic coverage anywhere. Go Team USA!
A serial bank robber known as the “Ho-Hum Bandit” pleaded guilty Tuesday to a string of bank robberies that took place in San Diego County in 2010.
Adam Lynch, 34 – known for his reportedly nonchalant, unassuming manner of robbing banks – admitted to committing seven bank robberies in San Diego between Feb. 27, 2010, and Jun. 5, 2010, the office of U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy confirmed.
During his spree, he even robbed the same bank branch twice within just one week.
According to the FBI, Lynch’s modus operandi was almost always the same: he would enter a bank, walk up to the counter, pass a note to a teller, say he was armed and demand cash.
After getting what he wanted, the bland bandit would flee the scene. He never injured anyone in the humdrum heists.
Investigators say Lynch’s San Diego bank robberies weren’t his last.
Prosecutors say Lynch also robbed several banks in Denver in August 2010, December 2010 and March 2011. The Ho-Hum Bandit also struck at a bank in Cheyenne, Wyo., in November 2010.
At one point, the FBI suspected Lynch was responsible for at least 16 bank robberies.
Lynch’s crime career came to an end in April 2011 when he was arrested by authorities. He’s been in custody ever since.
In April 2013, Lynch was sentenced to more than five years in prison for those robberies in Denver and Wyoming.
His sentencing for the San Diego bank robberies is set for Apr. 28, according to prosecutors. If convicted on all charges, Lynch faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, plus a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $100 special assessment.
You’ve been true to your New Year’s resolution to step up your health and fitness all month long. But now, with January coming to a close, it may be time to throw your carb cares to the wind – at least for one good meal. Everyone deserves a “cheat meal” every now and then, so Yelp has compiled a naughty list of truly delicious dishes available at restaurants in San Diego’s North County. So, take a savory slip or maybe a dessert dive to the dark side: after all, sometimes it’s good to be a little bad.
Oink & Moo Burgers & BBQ (Fallbrook)
Finally ready for some red meat? Well, the burgers at Oink & Moo Burgers & BBQ may just be the perfect way to satisfy that carnivorous craving. The burgers at this Fallbrook restaurant are ground fresh on site daily and you can’t go wrong with pretty much anything on the menu. Try the “Oink a’ Doodle Moo,” topped with a giant waffle fry, a fried egg and your choice of cheese. Not enough? No problem, get the “Hillbilly Burger,” topped with a hot dog, tater tots, caramelized onions, American and Swiss cheese and jalapenos. This place is also known for their BBQ and the award-winning “Mac N’ Cheese Fritters,” little morsels of cheat meal heaven wrapped in bacon and served with a special sauce.
The Regal Seagull (Encinitas)
Pile a cheese-filled bratwurst high with onions and sauerkraut on a buttermilk roll and sample the savory sides. Chances are you won’t be able to get up from your carb coma. The Regal Seagull’s “Mac and Cheese Bites” are a local favorite, or choose their tater tots, mini corn dogs or giant pretzels. Hey, at this indulgent eatery, even the green beans are fried! If you make it through your meal and somehow still have room for dessert, Yelpers recommend the “Beagle Bites,” tiny, tantalizing cinnamon and sugar donut holes. It’ll take a while to work off those puppies, but it might just be worth it.
Sublime Tavern (Del Mar)
If your diet is going to die (ok, at least just for a day) you might want to do it with the hot, melted goodness of a solid grilled cheese sandwich. Del Mar’s Sublime Tavern has this comfort food at its finest: try the “Jalapeno Popper” version, made with jalapenos, cream cheese and a cheddar Parmesan crust. The decadent menu doesn’t stop there. This eatery also specializes in different variations of mac n’ cheese, many with toothsome titles such as the “Ecstasy Mac N’ Cheese,” boasting gorgonzola béchamel, applewood smoked bacon, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, garlic and thyme, or the “Rapture Mac N’ Cheese,” boasting pulled pork, caramelized onion and parsley.
Pizza Port (Multiple locations, including Solana Beach and Carlsbad)
This weekend’s big Super Bowl game is as close as it gets to the perfect time to ruin resolutions without lifting a finger – just order pizza and wings. A local legend, Pizza Port boasts arguably the meatiest wings in town and the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger pizza (classified as “Anti-Wimpy”) hits the spot. The pie is a smorgasbord of BBQ sauce, meatballs, red onions and bacon, with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. If smaller snacks are your style, try the garlic or cajun “Beer Buddies,” bite-sized pieces of signature or wholegrain beer crust kicked up a notch with spices and served with dipping sauce on the side. Finally, if you’re dining in, don’t forget to top off your cheat meal with a frothy-meets-frozen delight: a Stout of Porter beer float. Yes, that would be beer plus ice cream.
Dolce Italia (San Marcos)
If your mini break in healthy eating needs a sugar high, Yelp knows just the place to make those calories count: Dolce Italia in San Marcos. Here, authentic desserts and pastries created by Chef Salvo, who hails from Southern Italy, overflow the case each day. But be warned, these decadent desserts are known to go fast and sometimes sell out. The “Limoncello Tart” is sublime, topped with Meringues Brulee. The “Duo,” a combination of fresh mango and chocolate mousse is addictive. The “Sicilian Cannoli” is extremely popular and, if you just can’t decide, snag yourself an Italian Classic Mini Combo with four selections: Baba', a Chocolate Eclaire, Ricotta Berry Tart and a Pistachio Bite.
Trish Sanderson is the community manager and marketing director for Yelp North County San Diego. She leads the local community of Yelp reviewers both online and off.
A woman jumped off a second-story balcony at an apartment complex Wednesday in order to escape a home invasion involving a man armed with a hatchet and taser, police confirmed.
According to San Diego police, the woman made a daring break for it just before 4 p.m. at her Mission Valley apartment located in the 2400-block of Fenton Parkway.
Police said the woman had opened her apartment door to a stranger – a 31-year-old man who lives in the neighborhood. The man allegedly forced his way into her home and threatened her with a hatchet and taser.
The woman jumped off her balcony to safety and was not seriously injured in the escape, police said.
Meanwhile, officers made their way to the apartment complex after receiving reports of an armed man running around area.
Police arrested the home invasion suspect a short time later. He will likely be charged with assault, among other counts.
The incident is under investigation. Check back for updates on this developing story.
A U.S. Marine whose war crimes conviction was overturned on appeal wants a defense attorney from outside the U.S. Marine Corps.
Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III was scheduled to be re-arraigned Wednesday on charges he led an eight-man squad accused of kidnapping and killing a retired Iraqi policeman from his home in April 2006.
That scheduled re-arraignment was delayed after Hutchins raised an issue of a conflict with his appointed Marine defense attorney.
He made those comments in a courtroom on Camp Pendleton near Oceanside, Calif.
Hutchins claims Marine Corps defense attorneys are all tainted because they work for the USMC command which has "unduly influenced" the case against him.
He will be back in court in two weeks for another hearing on this conflict issue.
Hutchins and his squad were accused of marching the man into a ditch and fatally shooting him in Hamdania, and then staging the body to look like the man had been planting bombs.
After a previous court martial, Hutchins was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
He was freed from the Miramar Brig in July after Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled that his constitutional rights had been violated at the time of his arrest.
At the time, he told NBC 7, “I am afraid that any future retrial will be tainted with the unlawful command influence that was a result of Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus' comments back in 2009.”
The Marine Corps highest Court reversed his conviction last June ruling that a confession Hutchins made while being held in a trailer without legal representation should not have been admitted as evidence.
San Diego County health officials report eight more influenza-related deaths last week including the region's youngest victim of the flu season.
The 31-year-old man died after contracting the H1N1 strain of the flu. In total, 20 people have died from influenza in San Diego County this season.
H1N1 disproportionately affects children and young to middle-aged adults, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention. Officials said 55% of all deaths this year are considered middle-aged.
The eight people who died last week all had underlying health conditions.
San Diego County is seeing more ICU hospitalizations from influenza over the previous year, officials said Wednesday.
Even though the number of local flu cases has increased over the previous week, the County Public Health Officer said the trend of patients was expected to gradually lessen.
Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H. said it appears the number of this season’s flu cases is plateauing.
“We’ve seen the worst already,” Wooten said.
Wooten said the best way to avoid the flu is to get a flu shot.
The current flu vaccine protects against H1N1, Influenza A, H3N2 and Influenza B.
The vaccine is well-matched for this strain of the virus, she said. “It’s imperative for everyone to get their vaccine.”
The CDC recommends an influenza vaccine for anyone 6 months or older. It takes two weeks for vaccine to become effective.
In tough times, Walmart is getting smaller.
Instead of making bigger and bigger superstores, the world's largest retailer is turning to grocery stores. In San Diego county, two Walmart Neighborhood Markets opened in Oceanside and Escondido, doubling the number of these stores in the county. There are two more in the pipeline as well.
San Diego State marketing professor Michael Belch says Walmart expanding its grocery stores is good for consumers.
"I think it will increase competition in the local neighborhoods," Belch said.
According to CNBC, Walmart plans to add 400 more Neighborhood Markets by fiscal year 2017. At the same time, they plan on adding another 300 super centers.
Walmart store manager Samuel Long says customers are looking for grocery store alternatives.
"We are a low price retailer," Long said. "We are here to save people money so they can eat better."
The Walmart Neighborhood Market looks similar to most large grocery stores. It sells fresh produce, frozen goods, meat, dairy and dry goods. They will also offer some health and beauty products, cleaning supplies and a pharmacy.
Shopper Jessica Casarin is happy to see the store come to her neighborhood.
"It's a great idea, Not just for them but also for shoppers like me," she said.
However shopper Robert Lacey has mixed feelings.
"I'm kind of happy and then on the other hand, maybe not," he said. "It does kind of effect the Mom and Pop stores."
Part of Walmart's strategy to expand its grocery stores may be to avoid online competition. While online retail giant Amazon has been able to erode some of Walmart's business, groceries have not proven to be a big online draw.
"When you have perishables, I think you want that local presence where you can go in the store," Belch said.
However, Walmart is finding a way to combine its grocery store and online website. Customers can order merchandise online and have it delivered at no charge to a Neighborhood Market for pick-up.
San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne has a plan to combat racial profiling in the department.
On Wednesday, Lansdowne asked City Council’s Public Safety and Livable Communities Committee for body cameras. Lansdowne said the cameras will be mounted on the officer’s chest and will record video and sound.
"It would help us with the misunderstandings, with lawsuits, It helps us when we sit down with someone and they say, ‘what happened?’ We can show them an actual video of what happened. There are few things better than video or sound," Lansdowne explained.
To start, the police chief wants 100 cameras, which will cost the city of San Diego $200,000. Then, he wants to increase the amount. The total cost to the city will be $2 million a year.
Body cameras for police officers are already in the 2015 budget, but Lansdowne is asking the council to accelerate this.
A recent report indicated officers are not regularly asking for racial data at traffic stops, which is used to prevent profiling.
About 25 people addressed the council Wednesday, many saying they’ve been racially profiled.
Lansdowne says he’s committed to fixing this issue.
Mayor de Blasio delivered on his promise to reform stop-and-frisk police tactics Thursday, requesting to drop an appeal of a federal judge's order requiring reforms and reaching a deal that was praised by those who sued the city over discrimination claims.
Lawyers for de Blasio asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court to send an appeal to the lower court "for the purpose of exploring a full resolution."
"The City of New York will officially drop its reform in this case," de Blasio said. "This will be one city where everyone rises together, where everyone's rights are protected."
Lawyers for the Center for Constitutional Rights, which has represented plaintiffs in the court actions, said the deal calls for a monitor to oversee reforms for three years. The monitor will oversee a process in which those communities most affected by the stop-and-frisk tactics will provide input into reforms.
"Today is the beginning of a long-overdue process: the reform of the NYPD to end illegal and racially discriminatory policing," said Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights.
"For too long, communities of color have felt under siege by the police, and young Black and Latino men have disproportionately been the target," he said in a news release. "We are eager to finally begin creating real change."
Attorney Darius Charney said the center looks "forward to working with the communities directly affected on the streets every day to come up with solutions that protect the rights of all New Yorkers."
A judge ruled last year that the NYPD had discriminated against blacks and Latinos when stopping, questioning and sometimes frisking people on the street. The judge ordered major reforms to the department's implementation of the policy.
Then-Mayor Bloomberg appealed the decision. But de Blasio, who took office at the beginning of the year, is now seeking to drop the appeal.
Bloomberg was a staunch advocate of the policy and his administration appealed the decision. Stops had soared under his 12-year tenure to more than 5 million in the past decade, mostly of black and Hispanic men. About 10 percent of the stops result in arrests or summonses, and weapons were found about 2 percent of the time.
Four men sued the department in 2008, saying they were unfairly targeted because of their race. U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin presided over a 10-week bench trial in which she heard testimony from a dozen New Yorkers who said they were wrongly stopped. She agreed and imposed a court-appointed monitor to oversee reforms, but her ruling has been on hold pending the appeal.
The federal appeals court also took the unusual step of removing Scheindlin from the case, saying she misapplied a related ruling that allowed her to accept it to begin with and had inappropriately spoken publicly about the case.
Plaintiffs' attorney Jonathan Moore said the city's decision to drop the appeal "vindicates the findings by Judge Scheindlin and provides the opportunity for the NYPD to reform policies and practices that the district court found unconstitutional."
De Blasio and his new police commissioner, Bill Bratton, have said the policy has created a rift among New Yorkers who don't trust police, and it's made morale low for officers who should be praised for stellar efforts reducing crime to record lows.
The stop-and-frisk tactic itself was not ruled unconstitutional; rather the way the department was using it violated civil rights, the judge said.
Gov. Jerry Brown is hoping for rain, but he isn't depending on it.
At a meeting in Los Angeles Thursday, Brown met with Southern California water officials to discuss what's on the horizon as California faces one of the worst droughts he has ever seen.
“We’re all going to have to think very carefully about efficiency in conservation," Brown said. “At the end of the day, we need water. We’re going to have to get water and the first source is to not waste it.”
READ: 17 Calif. Communities Set to Go Dry
Brown said he discussed the drought with President Barack Obama by phone on Wednesday, and that California would receive federal help.
“He pledged his support to help California,” Brown said. “We’re working in the short term to get funding from the president."
Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said the current drought is unprecedented in his time on the board.
"We are watching this rapidly evolving drought situation with a lot concern for water supply throughout the Southland and throughout the entire state," Kightlinger said.
Calif. Governor Declares Drought Emergency
At a meeting next month, the agency will look for ways to encourage conservation, including offering more rebate programs for consumers.
"We are confident that people will respond," Kightlinger said. "We want to support them in this response."
The meeting came just a day after water officials warned that 17 communities in the state are set to run dry in as little as three months.
Brown will continue to spread his conservation message at today’s meeting and urge Californians to conserve water, according to a press release. Earlier this month, he suggested Californians reduce their water usage by 20 percent.
READ: Water Conservation Tips: How to Reduce Usage During Drought Emergency
Governor Brown declared a drought State of Emergency earlier this month and said that it is "perhaps the worst drought that California has ever seen" since record keeping began in 1970.
Autumn Burris, 49, says her introduction into prostitution started slowly.
“I’m going to start with a little dancing. It’s no big deal. I’m going to pay some stuff off. Then I’m going to get out,” Burris said. “It doesn’t work like that.”
She ended up prostituting for 15 years. Health problems, legal issues and violence finally took their toll.
“I was so tired of living that life and being beaten down,” she said. “The only way I got out was because there was another survivor who sat across from me and said, ‘Fifteen years ago, I was sitting where you are. Let me help you.’”
Today, Burris is the founder of Survivors for Solutions, an organization that helps sexually exploited women. She is also helping the city of San Diego with a new poster campaign designed to combat sex trafficking.
More than 400 local businesses will be legally required to post a special flier. The anti-sex trafficking posters will appear in places like massage parlors, strip clubs, bus stops, truck stops and urgent care centers as required under legislation passed in 2012.
On Thursday, San Diego Interim Mayor Todd Gloria, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and members of the community gathered to discuss the launch of the campaign.
According to the FBI, sex trafficking is now the biggest money maker for gangs, replacing drugs and guns. Officials said sex trafficking is growing in San Diego because of its gang presence and close proximity to the border.
“Human slavery is the equivalent of modern day slavery and is often difficult to detect,” Gloria said. “The FBI has identified California as one of the top four states for trafficked persons.”
Authorities say predators start recruiting girls as young at 12-years-old. The life expectancy for girls after joining the sex trade is only seven years. 
San Diego officials say the new poster campaign will give members of the business community and their customers the chance to be the “eyes and ears” of investigators.
There is a 24-hour hotline phone number listed on the poster through which victims or callers can speak to trained professional counselors and experts.
The posters have been mailed out to local businesses already.
Under the California law which was approved in September 2012, business owners who do not comply are liable for a $500 fine on their first offense and a $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
Officials say the state of Texas started posting similar fliers four years ago. Since then, the number of reports has increased by 20 percent.
Officials released the identity of a San Diego woman found stabbed in a ravine near Birch Aquarium earlier this month.
The county medical examiner’s office identified the woman as 43-year-old Claudia Alvarez-Garcia of San Diego. She was described by investigators as a housekeeper who worked in the La Jolla area.
San Diego police homicide investigators were called to 2300 Expedition Way on Jan. 13 after a groundskeeper reported finding a woman’s body with multiple stab wounds.
Although she was still alive, Alvarez-Garcia was unresponsive and medical crews transported her to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where she later died, according to police.
Alvarez-Garcia’s death was originally classified as a homicide, but police then changed the categorization to a suspicious death and said suicide has not been ruled out.
The medical examiner has not determined the cause or manner of death according to the information released Thursday.
A Lakeside man is grateful his family is alive after a car crashed into his home leaving a hole in the wall of his son’s bedroom, just inches from the crib where the child was sleeping.
“It’s a lot to take in,” said James Williams who appeared to be in shock holding his five-month-old son moments after the crash.
“Even when the emergency crew showed up, when they saw the condition that the room was in, they were even surprised that Conhur was okay because of the damage that was inside the house,” Williams said.
James and his son's mother, Laurie Maston, were awakened just after 2 a.m. by a large crash when a Scion rammed the side of their home on Los Coches Road.
“All I heard was screams,” said Williams, who said he came outside to see the driver lying on the ground, hysterical.
The car pushed the crib a little out of the way and toppled a dresser, but the baby was unharmed.
Images: Car Comes Within Inches of Crib
“His mother was more shaken up than he was,” Williams said.
Maston was asleep in a bed on the other side of the room from the crib. She told NBC 7 she jumped up and immediately grabbed her baby.
“I wake up to a big crash and a car horn and go to grab baby out of crib,” she said. “There’s stuff everywhere and it just, wow, totally scares you.”
The car was damaged and the woman behind the wheel was transported to Grossmont Hospital with cuts on her hand.
The California Highway Patrol said the woman driving the Scion was speeding when she plowed through a fence and straight into the home.
Three people were arrested after Miami-Dade Police discovered a large scale marijuana grow operation at the base of a concrete-sealed pool complete with a hidden, underground tunnel.
The discovery was made Jan. 23 at the home at 30121 Southwest 147th Court when detectives approached a vehicle that was stopped outside and smelled a strong odor of marijuana and saw several bags of marijuana inside, Miami-Dade Police said Thursday.
After the driver of the car made contact with the homeowner, detectives received consent to search the house. Once inside, the detectives noticed a strong odor of marijuana in one of the rooms, police said.
In the room, detectives discovered a hatch that gave access to an underground crawl space that led to a fully operational hydroponics lab at the base of the home's pool, which was sealed by a concrete slab, police said.
A total of 82 live marijuana plants and five pounds of processed marijuana were found in the lab, police said.
"These criminals think outside the box in order to make a quick buck," said Alvaro Zabaleta, police spokesman.
Valexy Quintero-Consuegra, 37, Marley Torres-Denis, 27, and homeowner Eddy Pelaez-Ramirez, were arrested and charged accordingly, police said.
Quintero-Consuegra and Pelaez-Ramirez were charged with marijuana trafficking, conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, possession of a place to manufacture a controlled substance and grand theft, according to Miami-Dade Police reports. Torres-Denis was charged with marijuana possession. It was unknown whether they have attorneys.
"Who knows how long they have been functioning. They could have done this for years," said Zabaleta.
The suspect in a police pursuit who crashed his vehicle into a traffic pole and then fled the scene is still on the loose, police said Thursday
The pursuit began around 2:20 a.m. in the Paradise Hills area after they tried to pull over the driver for a traffic stop.
Officers said the pursuit began when the driver refused to pull over.
When the suspect’s car collided with a traffic pole at Newell and E. 18th Street in National City, the suspect bailed, officers said.
Officers searched Las Palmas Park, the National City Golf Course and Las Palmas Elementary School but did not find the suspect.
That suspect was still at large Thursday morning.
National City police said the car was stolen. Some people were spotted at the crash scene hours later collecting what looked like personal belongings from inside the car.
San Diego police are handling the investigation.
Rep. Henry Waxman announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election after 40 years in office.
Waxman made the announcement in a statement issued Thursday morning. Waxman, whose first campaign was in 1974, said he plans to retire at the end of 2014.
"As I reflect on my career, I am filled with gratitude," the Democrat said in the statement. "I am grateful for the support of my constituents, who have entrusted me to represent them and encouraged me to become a leader on national and international issues.
"I am grateful for my supporters and allies, who have worked side-by-side with me to fight for issues we care about: health, environmental protection, women's and gay rights, and strengthening the ties between the United States and our most important ally, the State of Israel."
Waxman represents California's newly drawn 33rd Congressional District, which includes western Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. He also served six years in the California State Assembly.
Waxman went on to list what he does not like about the political climate in Congress, adding that his decision to leave was not out of frustration.
"I abhor the extremism of the Tea Party Republicans," Waxman said. "I am embarrassed that the greatest legislative body in the world too often operates in a partisan intellectual vacuum, denying science, refusing to listen to experts, and ignoring facts.
"The reason for my decision is simple. After 40 years in Congress, it's time for someone else to have the chance to make his or her mark, ideally someone who is young enough to make the long-term commitment that's required for real legislative success. I still feel youthful and energetic, but I recognize if I want to experience a life outside of Congress, I need to start soon. Public office is not the only way to serve, and I want to explore other avenues while I still can."
Waxman pushed for investigations into the tobacco industry and was instrumental in getting President Barack Obama's health care overhaul completed.
His upcoming departure and that of Congressman George Miller, who represents Contra Costa County, will leave California without two of its most senior members. Both men took office in January 1975.
Arson investigators were called to four brush fires Wednesday that all sparked in the same vicinity, authorities confirmed.
The most recent brush fire started around 10:45 p.m. near the YMCA on Friars Road. Fire officials said a palm tree caught fire. That fire was contained to less than an acre.
Officials said another fire began around 7 p.m near the Morena Boulevard off-ramp on Interstate 8 and initially burned about a quarter of an acre.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) said officials with their Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST) were called to the scene of that fire about 20 minutes later to investigate its cause. Officials said it also began when a palm tree caught on fire and then fell to the ground, spreading the flames.
"We had fire that was almost touching the power lines. If it would have burned through, it would have caused a real emergency," Battalion Chief Ty Shimoguchi said.
Bright orange flames could be seen shooting through the brush.
The San Diego Police Department confirmed another small fire, similar in nature, happened at this same location earlier in the day, around 5 p.m.
California Highway Patrol officials shut down the westbound and eastbound Morena Boulevard off-ramps for several hours. By 8:05 p.m., the fire had been knocked out.
Meanwhile, at around 7:45 p.m., additional fire crews were called to yet another fire on the other side of I-8 and Morena Boulevard, close to Interstate 5 and Taylor Street, near Old Town San Diego.
By 8:20 p.m., that fire had been contained as well. In all, officials said it took crews about an hour and twenty minutes to tackle both fires.
Officials said fires in the Mission Valley riverbed are a persistent problem.
"We go to these quite frequently, this riverbed area with the people that live down here," Shimoguchi said.
There was a strong police presence in the riverbed Wednesday night. Everyone walking or biking in the area was asked for identification and questioned by arson investigators.
"Anyone coming out of the riverbed they just had a conversation with," Shimoguchi said. "But there are no suspects right now."
Maurice Luque of the SDFD said arson investigators had not yet confirmed if the fires were the work of an arsonist. Information on the total amount of acres burned was not immediately available.
The investigation is ongoing.
